more scarves!

​merona tie front dress {similar}   · xhilartion blazer {thrifted / similar} 

handmade (by me) scarf · merona mary janes {thrifted / similar} 

sept 17th / this is another scarf i made out of about a yard of lightweight, linen-like fabric. i promise, i am not just teasing you, my scarf tutorial is coming!  the fabric i chose to make my tutorial scarf out of is turning out to not be the best fabric as it is causing me some problems, but i am working on it for you!​ like many people around the country, i am enjoying pulling on more layers but our temperatures are actually requiring a scarf these days for warmth rather than fashion. speaking of scarves, since i am dragging you all along waiting for my tutorial, i thought i would share today how i store my scarves: 

i store my scarves looped through this ikea komplement hanger that i found at the goodwill for a couple bucks. i have it hanging on a hook on the back of my bedroom door. the contraption in front of it is a shoe rack. a few of the horizontal bars on the top broke off but i wanted to still find a way to use it, so i placed it in front of my scarves and realized i could use the bars on the bottom to hang baseball caps and a bag filled with my mittens, gloves, and winter hats. it worked out perfectly to utilize the space on the door below the scarf hanger and find a way to store those awkward items i haven't found an easy storage solution for anywhere else. i never would have thought of using a shoe rack to organize other items, but a little creativity turned it into a workable solution. i guess that's what you have to do when you live in a small-ish apartment!  i'm sure i'll find other things to hang on the empty slots or just take those bars off so i have easier access to the bottom row of scarves.

since this post is turning into an organizational/tour post, i thought i would link to my other closet/organizational posts: bedroom closet / shoe closet / jewelry. all of these spots look drastically different now as i am always trying out different ways to fit all of my clothes and shoes, but i thought i would still link to them in case one of my previous organizational methods might work for someone else if you have a similar space.  after i finish my scarf tutorial, i'll work on new closet tour posts (i think they're always fun!). thanks for visiting!

july 22nd {guesting}

worthington blouse {thrifted}   ·   merona doubleweave skirt
merona marylynn mary janes

i actually have a pretty busy week ahead of me so i'm trying to make sure that i have outfits planned that i know will work for what i have going on each day this week.  i thrifted this blouse recently and it became half of a pretty easy outfit when paired with a coordinating pencil skirt.  however, i think if it sticks around in my closet i am going to have to chop off the arms and hem them to short sleeve length.  the band around the arm opening was too tight on my too chunky forearms!

today i'm guest posting for my friend dayi over at her blog, dayi's sense of style.  pop on over if you want to see an outfit i created with her in mind!

january 17th {florals}

coldwater creek blouse {thrifted}  

merona heels {old}   ·   j crew skirt {ebayed}

since you guys were so kind about my post from tuesday with my outfit fails, i feel a little more confident in posting this outfit from thusday.  it is true, i have worn this skirt once a week since the start of the month.  but i hereby solemnly swear that should i wear it again next week i will at least iron it first.  it's starting to turn into a pleated skirt.  and it took a lot for me not to pair it with the yellow-green belt i wore twice last week so i see that as a small plus!  :)

some of my favorite blogs have been talking about being in a rut or funk lately, whether it's finding something to wear based on the weather or just transitioning back into work-mode after the holidays.  it's nice that we can support and lift one another up and still find positive comments to share with one another when we may not see those things ourselves.  so... i end the week by thanking you for that!

thursday (honesty)

mossimo sweater & merona belt {both thrifted target stock}   ·   j crew skirt {ebay}  

express button-down {thrifted}   ·   merona marylynn mary janes 

in all honesty, this is what i have been thinking about a lot at work this week...

• accents / sometimes i find that i start to talk with a southern accent if i am trying to clearly & slowly explain something to one of my clients so that they can better hear (ie: understand) what i am saying.  in all honesty, i tried to ensure this wouldn't happen the 20+ years i lived in the south and now it creeps out when i am living in the north.
  
  
• chocolate shakes / there were two days in one week when i ordered chocolate shakes from the bistro in my building from the same culinary worker, a guy several years younger than me.  i've put myself on a self-imposed break from shakes so he doesn't think i am too gluttonous but in all honesty, sometimes i creep upstairs just to see if he isn't working so i can order a shake from another one of the workers.
  
  
• pop music / sometimes i close my office door in the afternoons so i can have a dance break to top 40 music.  how great is justin beiber's "as long as you love me"?  nicki minaj's "super bass" is another one that i jump out of my chair for.  in all honestly, i think only one person i work with knows that i like to do this {and i think he thinks i was joking...} so i am pretty sure i'm in the clear.  i take my mid-afternoon dance breaks pretty seriously.

it's clear that my brain can only hold so much social work.  what's on your mind this week?

thursday (mixed x 2)

 

merona argyle cardigan {thrifted target stock}   gap button-up {thrifted}

handmade (by me) skirt   merona marylynn mary janes

i think i did okay for my second time ever pattern mixing {first seen here}.  purple and gray are so great together, and the print on this button-up isn't really too distracting so it didn't seem like pattern mixing--i think that is key!  i think it worked really well!  i'm not sure about the look of the longer cardigan not tucked or belted, but i did like it against my purple skirt.  i have been so exhausted this week, so any outfits that come together relatively simply is definitely a positive in my book.  here's looking forward to friday!

wednesday (more thanks)

merona paigen cardigan {thrifted target stock}

mossimo trs pencil skirt {thrifted target stock}   merona marylnn mary janes

you probably didn't know this, but i have been on a mad hunt for a pair of basic black pumps for a while to replace my two pairs of black heels that are falling apart and a pair of black flats to give my black bauble ones a break.  today i had two meetings on opposite parts of town, so i popped into the goodwills near both of those locations.  at the second one, i found what i was looking for:  fioni black patent pumps dumped into the $1.49 reject shoe bin (remember the last shoes i found there?).  i also came upon a giant cart of shoes filled with donated target stock--little bitty snow boots, those shooties i posted about yesterday, and a cute pair of merona black flats for $4.99.  i know, i was really breaking the bank and my february budget by buying $6.48 worth of shoes... but i was so happy that my patience paid off.  thank you goodwill!

now i just have to tell myself it's okay to donate or get rid of the other shoes i have that are really worn... that is hard for me!

monday (proud!)

 

 handmade (by me) blouse   merona artist cardigan {thrifted new}

merona doubleweave skirt {thrifted new}   merona marylynn mary janes

in case you were busy shopping during black friday {i definitely wasn't!} and missed my post, this is the handmade blouse that my mom & i made last week!  of course i couldn't wait long before wearing it.  i love how it turned out.  dare i say that i think my sewing skills are improving after tackling that blouse, and i'm feeling the urge to try my hand at something else, like this or this! have a wonderful evening!

monday (suds)

 banana republic blouse & cardigan {thrifted}   merona doubleweave slacks {thrifted new}

 f21 bright skinny belt   target bauble necklace   merona marylynn suede mary janes

i was starting to pride myself on not getting sick last month, even though my sister was coughing up a storm and touching all of the doorknobs and remote buttons in our apartment.  then over the past couple weeks my coworkers were infesting our small office with their sicknesses... still, nothing.  but my immune system finally gave out and i now have the suds.  i hope it looks like more thought went into this outfit than really did.  we all have those days!

this evening, it was heidi vs the neti pot.  my sister swears by it, and i got this one free from their facebook and decided it was time to try it out.  it was really hard for me, i couldn't get it at the right angle to really clear out my sinuses, but i'll keep trying.  someone out there has got to have some neti pot tips for me!

tuesday (menswear)

 

merona button-up {thrifted target stock}   gap v-neck sweater   
 merona doubleweave slacks {thrifted target stock}   merona marylynn mary janes  
target bauble necklace {thrifted target stock}   kohl's belt

this outfit might not be truly menswear inspired since i'm not wearing a vest or a pair of suspenders, but the look of a collared shirt always feels a bit more masculine to me, especially in this color scheme.  if it were cool enough (it was towards the end of the day), i would have added a blazer.  truthfully though, i loved this look and i felt really classic & put-together all day... which is definitely my goal.  either way, i think i am going to have to be on the look out for a great little vest the next time i go to the goodwill!

monday (professional)

merona leigh crosshatch dress {thrifted new, $4.99}   merona artist light cardigan {thrifted new}
target belt {thrifted new}   merona "marylynn" mary jane heels   forever21 bracelet

i've been hoarding this dress since may and decided it was high time to just wear it already. no sense in waiting for the perfect opportunity.  honestly, what really detracted me from wearing it up until now was that it almost felt too professional for my work environment.  i figured today was as good a day as any to wear it, though, since we had some guests in our office.  and i think i felt better once i put a cardigan over it.  nothing like setting the tone for the workweek with a great dress!